Maruti is readying an all-new hatchback (Codename: YRA) that is expected to launch globally next year.
This new model will sit above the Swift in Suzuki’s global line-up and will compete directly with the New Hyundai Elite i20, which has also moved a sub-segment higher.
This first-ever spy picture shows the upcoming Maruti YRA in production guise, and gives us a pretty clear view of how the new hatch is expected to look. From the picture, it is safe to bet that parent-company Suzuki has played it safe with the YRA’s styling and has continued with the family-look first seen on the Swift.
The YRA is expected to be much wider than the Swift and this means cabin-space will be competitive if not class leading. The headlamps are placed at far corners and the wide grille is expected to get Suzuki’s honeycomb treatment. A new here for Suzuki is the V-shape chrome-surround at the bottom. The front bumper gets conservative styling with a wide air-intake inlet, fog lamp inserts and vertical daytime-running lamps. What’s to note is that Maruti for-the-first-time in India could provide standard daytime-running lamps in India.
Moving on to the side, the Maruti YRA’s doors look much bigger than the Swift and the wing mirrors are mounted on the doors rather than the conventional mounting on the A-pillar. While the test mules seen abroad have large alloy wheels and turn-indicators on the wing mirrors, the test mule seen here is equipped with smaller steel wheels and no indicators on the wing mirrors.
The Maruti YRA is expected to be powered by the 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol and the 1.3-litre diesel motors.
Akbar Merchant